Generator burner and fuel control therefor



Jan. 13, 1948. J. 1.. BREESE 2,434,346

GENERATOR BURNER AND FUEL CONTROL THEREFOR Filed Jan. 15, 1944 F061 T/INK .9 fie iaor tfawzes Z. Breese atented Jan. 13, .1948

GENERATOR BURNER AND FUEL CONTROL THEREFOR James L. Breese, Santa Fe, N. Mex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Breese Burners, Inc., Santa Fe, N. Mex., a corporation of Delaware Application January 15, 1944, Serial No. 518,340

.6 Claims. (Cl. 158--37) My invention relates to an improvement in vaporizing burners and has for one purpose to provide a burner for liquid fuels, including improved fuel storage and supply means. Another purpose is to provide thermally actuated means for controlling the fuel supply to the burner. Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a vertical section;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings. Referring to the drawings, I generally indicates a vaporization chamber member having a bottom wall 2, a top wall 3 and side walls 4. The chamber is shown as rectangular in plan, but can be of any other suitable shape. 5 indicates a fuel storage tank which may be more or less remote from the vaporization chamber I. It is connected therewith by a fuel supply pipe 6. Any desired means may be employed for closing the pipe 6 and I illustrate for example the manual operable valve assembly 1 with its manually controlled member 8. The pipe 6 is shown as having a terminal portion 9 extending downwardly through the top of the wall 3 and terminating with a closed bottom Hi adjacent the bottom wall 2 of the vaporization chamber. II is a liquid fuel escape aperture. It may be controlled by means operating in response to changes in temperature. I illustrate for example a warping bar I 2 mounted upon a lower portion of the pipe 9. It will be understood that at a normal temperature range the warping bar remains in the closed position in which it is shown in full line in Figure 1. As the level of fuel in the generator chamber I drops, the warping bar is subjected increasingly to the heat of vaporizing combustion taking place in the vaporization chamber, with the result that it warps to open position. This permits additional fuel to flow from the tank 5 into the vaporization chamber i. As the level of the fuel rises it protects the warping bar from the heat of combustion and it warps back to closed position. It will be understood that whereas in the drawings, which are diagrammatic, the fuel tank 5 is shown as of the same general size as the vaporization chamber i, it is preferable to have the cubic content of the fuel tank substantially greater than the cubic content of the vaporization chamber. Thus the stored supply of fuel is kept for the most part in the tank 5, remote from the heater, and only an adequate working head or volume is maintained in the vaporization chamber l.

In vaporizing burners of the present type the liquid fuel is vaporized in the vaporization chamber and is carried, in vapor form, to the area of use. In order to maintain adequate and controllable air supply for the vaporization chamber I employ the structure below described. I3 is a fixed outside tube extending downwardly through the top partition 3. It is herein shown as having generally diametrically opposed slots M, It. the slot i5 being of substantially greater width than the slot 14. it is an open topped inner tube extending downwardly into the open top of the outer tube l3. It is provided with a handle and limit member I! which permits it to be rotated manually and which also limits its downward penetration into the tube I3. The inner tube I6 is also provided with generally diametrically 0pposed slots l8, l9. In the form herein shown, as will be clear from Figure 4, the slots l8 and 19 are the same width as the slot I4 but are of substantially less width than the slot l5. When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 4, a maximum inflow of air is permitted. A clockwise movement of the inner tube l6, referring to the position of the parts in Figure 4, will be effective to close the slot M by putting the slot l8 out of register with it. However, the slot [9 may still be in full register with the larger slot l5. Thus the air supply will be cut in half. A sufilcient rotation of the inner tube 5 in a clockwise direction would eventually cut on the air supply altogether. It will thus be clear that I provide easy and efficient means for varying the air supply at will.

Assume that vaporizing combustion is maintained in the vaporization chamber I, it will be understood that the result is to vaporize the liq-, uid fuel. In order to burn the fuel I may provide a variety of burners. However, I illustrate a burner pot 20 having a circumferential side wall 2| provided with a plurality of primary air inlets 22 circumferentially arranged thereabout andlocated at various distances from the end wall 23 of the pot. 28 is a vapor inlet pipe, one end of which is in communication with the interior of the vaporization chamber I, and the other end of which passes through or is connected to the end wall 23 of the pot 2B. 24 indicates a row of secondary air inlet apertures located adjacent the open end of the pot. 25 is a centrally apertured 3 flame ring which partially closes the open end of the pot. 26 is an outer skirt surrounding the pot but provided with an air inlet aperture 21 through which the pipe 28 passes. An ample clearance is allowed for a flow of air into the space Within the skirt 26 to supply air to the interior of the pot through the apertures 22 and 24. It will be understood that the burner may be connected with or inserted into any suitable combustion chamber or heating element or stove, not

herein shown.

It will be realized that, whereas I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawlugs to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

I have illustrated a vaporizing type burner which includes in a compact unit the burner proper and the vaporization chamber. The burner may be applied to or inserted in any suitable combustion or heat radiating member such as a stove, furnace, or water heater. The generator chamber is of sufiicient size to contain a substantial supply of fuel but I illustrate a separate fuel tank, which may be of much larger size, together with heat responsive means for controlling the flow of the fuel from the fuel tank to the vaporization chamber proper. As the level of fuel in the vaporization chamber drops, the warping bar l2 becomes subjected to the heat of vaporizing combustion and is thereby warped into open position in relation to the fuel passage ll. After the passage is open and additional fuel flows in, the level of the liquid fuel in the vaporization chamber rises sufficiently to permit the bar l2 to cool and to warp back to passage closing position.

In the type of burner herein shown, the rate of combustion is controlled by controlling the air supplied to the interior of the vaporization chamber. The air may be controlled by rotating the inner tube l6 by means of a handle IT. A large supply of air may be admitted at the initiating stage, when a match or lighted waste or other lighting substance may be dropped into the vaporization chamber through the air passage I6 or through the passage 28. It must be kept in mind that there must be some air flow at all times, if continuous operation is to be maintained. Since the only means for getting fuel into the pot 20 is to convert the fuel into a gas or vapor, enough air must be admitted to maintain the combustion necessary for the vaporization of the gas. The greater the rate of air flow, the greater is the rate of combustion. Air should be admitted in suflicient quantity not merely to maintain the combustion necessary for the vaporization of the fuel in the generator chamber l, but also to provide an excess supply of oxygen. The combustion takes place adjacent the tube I3, which in turn is adjacent the vapor inlet passage 28. The normal velocity of air is effective to carry at least part of the flame into the interior of the pot 20. It is important not merely to maintain a fuel vaporizing flame within the chamber 1 but also to carry some flame and unburned oxygen into the interior of the pot so that, when the additional supply of oxygen is provided through the apertures 22 and 24, com- "porizing process will cease.

4 bustion will take place. The vaporized hydrocarbon is initially mixed with primary air flowing through the apertures 22. The final mixture is completed by secondary air passing through the apertures 24. At the high fire stage the flame passes out through the aperture of the flame ring 25 and into whatever combustion chamber or heat element is employed.

In the structure herein shown it will be understood that in order to maintain combustion the level of fuel must be below the top of the slots in the tube Hi. If the fuel reaches the level of the lower end of the passage 28, no air will be admitted to-the vaporization chamber, except to the very small area within the tube, and the va- Normally the bar I2 will be in the closed position. Assuming that combustion has been initiated, the result will be a progressive lowering of the level of the fuel. As the depth of the fuel between the generating fiameand the bar 12 is reduced, the bar is subjected increasingly to the heat of vaporizing combustion. 'It thus flexes into the open or dotted line position of Figure 1. In other words, the fuel itself constitutes a protective heat insulation. I thus provide a modulating control for varying the fuel supply and for preventing undue depression of the fuel level within the vaporization chamber I.

I claim:

1. In a vaporizing burner assembly means forming a vaporization chamber, means for controllably supplying air to the interior thereof, a burner in communication with the vaporization chamber at a level above the level of liquid fuel in said vaporization chamber, means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of the vaporization chamber from a remote source, and means for thermally controlling the flow of fuel into said vaporization chamber, including a thermally responsive member located within the vaporization chamber, at a point substantially below the maximum fuel level therein, said thermally responsive member being formed and adapted to increase the fuel supply in response to an increase in temperature at the thermally responsive member.

2. In a vaporizing burner assembly, a burner, means for supplying vaporized liquid fuel to the burner includin means forming a vaporization chamber, means for controllably supplying air to the vaporization chamber, a vaporized fuel conduit extending from the vaporization chamber to the burner, from a level above the level of the liquid fuel in said vaporization chamber, means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of the vaporization chamber, and thermally responsive means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel to the vaporization chamber, positioned in the vaporization chamber at a level below the normal level of the liquid fuel in said chamber, said thermally responsive means bein formed and adapted to increase the fuel supply in response to an increase in temperature at the thermally responsive means.

3. In a vaporizing burner assembly, a burner, means for supplying vaporized liquid fuel to the burner including means forming a vaporization chamber, means for controllably supplying air to the vaporization chamber, a vaporized fuel conduit extending from the vaporization chamber to the burner, from a level above the level of the liquid fuel in said vaporization chamber, means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of the vaporization chamber, and thermally responsive means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel to the vaporization chamber including a heat responsive valve member in the vaporization chamber, said valve member being formed and adapted to move to a fuel flow increasing position in response to increase in temperature at the valve member.

4. In a vaporizing burner assembly, a pot type burner, means for supplying vaporized liquid fuel to the burner including means forming a vaporization chamber, means for controllably supplying air to the vaporization chamber, a vaporized fuel conduit extending from the vaporization chamber to the burner, from a level above the level of the liquid fuel in said vaporization chamber, means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of the vaporization chamber, and thermally responsive means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel to the vaporization chamber, positioned in the vaporization chamber at a level below the normal level of the liquid fuel in said chamber, said thermally responsive means including a thermally responsive fuel supply control member adapted to increase the rate of fuel flow in response to an increase in the temperature to which said control member is subjected.

5. In a vaporizing burner assembly, a burner. means for supplying vaporized liquid fuel to the burner, including means forming a vaporization chamber, means for controllably supplying air to the vaporization chamber, a vaporized fuel conduit extending from an upper part of the vaporization chamber to the burner, means for delivering liquid fuel to the interior of the vaporization chamber, and thermally responsive means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel to the vaporization chamber, and thus the level of fuel within the vaporization chamber, said means being positioned in the vaporization chamber at a level below the normal level of the liquid fuel in said chamber, and being responsive to the heat of vaporizing combustion taking place in the vaporization chamber, and being formed and 6 adapted to increase the fuel supply in response to an increase in the temperature to which said heat responsive means is subjected.

6. In a vaporizing burner, means forming a vaporizing chamber adapted to receive a substantial volume of liquid fuel for vaporization, and means for controlling the flow of liquid fuel into said chamber and thus the level of unvaporized liquid fuel in said chamber, including a liquid fuel inlet having a discharge aperture located below the level of liquid fuel in the chamber, and means for controlling said inlet and thereby controlling the level of unvaporized liquid fuel in said chamber, including a thermostatic member normally submerged in the liquid fuel, and formed and adapted to admit an increased fuel supply in response to increase in temperature at said thermostatic member. 7

JAMES L. BREESE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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